How to use a semicolon - Emma Bryce
How to use a semicolon - Emma Bryce
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-use-…
It may seem like the semicolon is struggling with an identity crisis. It looks like a comma crossed with a period. Maybe that’s why we toss these punctuation marks around like grammatical confetti; we’re confused about how to use them properly. Emma Bryce clarifies best practices for the semi-confusing semicolon.
Lesson by Emma Bryce, animation by Karrot Entertainment.
Content
7.569 -> It may seem like the semicolon
is struggling with an identity crisis.
12.165 -> It looks like a comma
crossed with a period.
15.083 -> Maybe that's why we toss these punctuation
marks around like grammatical confetti.
20.608 -> We're confused about
how to use them properly.
23.628 -> In fact, it's the semicolon's half-half
status that makes it useful.
29.343 -> It's stronger than a comma,
and less final than a period.
33.393 -> It fills the spaces in between,
and for that reason,
36.764 -> it has some specific
and important tasks.
40.526 -> For one, it can clarify
ideas in a sentence
43.579 -> that's already festooned with commas.
46.681 -> "Semicolons: At first, they may
seem frightening,
50.217 -> then, they become enlightening,
52.757 -> finally, you'll find yourself falling
for these delightful punctuation marks."
57.863 -> Even though the commas separate
different parts of the sentence,
60.966 -> it's easy to lose track
of what belongs where.
64.376 -> But then the semicolon
edges in to the rescue.
67.751 -> In list-like sentences, it can exert
more force than commas do,
72.269 -> cutting sentences into compartments
and grouping items that belong together.
77.528 -> The semicolon breaks things up,
but it also builds connections.
82.413 -> Another of its tasks is to link together
independent clauses.
86.605 -> These are sentences
that can stand on their own,
89.436 -> but when connected by semicolons,
91.556 -> look and sound better
because they're related in some way.
95.662 -> "Semicolons were once
a great mystery to me.
98.812 -> I had no idea where to put them."
101.526 -> Technically, there's nothing
wrong with that.
103.695 -> These two sentences can stand alone.
106.513 -> But imagine they appeared
in a long list of other sentences,
109.984 -> all of the same length,
each separated by periods.
114.218 -> Things would get monotonous very fast.
117.789 -> In that situation,
119.335 -> semicolons bring fluidity
and variation to writing
122.382 -> by connecting related clauses.
124.927 -> But as beneficial as they are,
semicolons don't belong just anywhere.
129.687 -> There are two main rules
that govern their use.
132.663 -> Firstly, unless they're
being used in lists,
135.692 -> semicolons should only connect clauses
that are related in some way.
140.728 -> You wouldn't use one here, for instance:
142.884 -> "Semicolons were once
a great mystery to me;
145.903 -> I'd really like a sandwich."
149.051 -> Periods work best here because these
are two totally different ideas.
153.647 -> A semicolon's job is to reunite
two independent clauses
157.787 -> that will benefit from
one another's company
160.262 -> because they refer to the same thing.
162.446 -> Secondly, you'll almost never find
a semicolon willingly stationed
166.489 -> before coordinating conjunctions:
169.25 -> the words, "and," "but," "for,"
"nor," "or," "so," and "yet."
175.763 -> That's a comma's place, in fact.
177.852 -> But a semicolon can replace
a conjunction to shorten a sentence
182.157 -> or to give it some variety.
184.149 -> Ultimately, this underappreciated
punctuation mark
188.101 -> can give writing clarity,
force, and style,
191.782 -> all encompassed
in one tiny dot and squiggle
195.345 -> that's just waiting to be put
in the right place.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th-zyfvwDdI